Treatment of artificial silk

ABSTRACT

&lt;PICT:0481400/IV/1&gt; &lt;PICT:0481400/IV/2&gt; Inserts 13 of polygonal cross-section are inserted in wet packages of artificial silk 12, which are then placed in a hydro-extractor 11 and subjected to centrifugal force to remove moisture and to deform the package to the shape of the polygonal insert.  A number of these deformed packages may be placed in a drying frame 14 with their outer surfaces in contact, and drying effected by passing hot air through the interior of each package.  The top and bottom of the drying frame may consist of galvanized wire covered with cotton cloth.  Alternatively, the drying may be carried out in a container having holes in the top and bottom to correspond with the holes in the packages.

1936- A. E. SUNDERLAND 2,058,368

TREATMENT OF ARTIFICIAL SILK Filed June 25, 1936 z gl vwcwho'b Patented Oct. 20, 1936 TREATMENT OF ARTIFICIAL SILK Alfred Ernest Sunderland, Asheville, N. 0., as- I signor to American Enka Corporation. Enka, N. 0., a corporation of Delaware Application June 25, 1936, Serial No. 87,321

4 Claims.

The present invention relates to the treatment of artificial silk wound in package form and more particularly to such packages which have no internal circular supports at the time of the novels been entirely satisfactory due to the fact that during drying, contraction of the threads takes place and. various degrees of resistance to contraction are set up in the package which permits the inner convolutions to contract more thanthe outer convolutions. This is an obvious characteristic because the inner convolutions themselves prevent full contraction of the outer convolutions. In order to overcome the foregoing difierences in shrinkage, various processes of drying have been devised and probably the most satisfactory is that in which the drying operation follows the so-called inside outside drying type. This mode of drying is effected by introducing, the drying 0 medium such as warm air into thread-free space within the package and continuously passing it therethrough so that the layers of thread dry progressively from the inside to the outside. This results in the inner convolutions contracting and leaving space for the outer convolutions to fully contract. Such a process and apparatus for conducting the same is more fully described and claimed in copending applications which have been assigned to the assignee in the present applilo cation and bearing the following identifications: Serial No. 732,715, filed June 2'7, 1934; Serial No. 736,939, filed July 25, 1934; Serial No. 740,018, filed August 15, 1934. In all of these applications an improvement might be made, as it is impossible to prevent a small amount of the drying medium to contact the outer portions of the thread package during the initial drying. This causes a slight unevenness of contraction within the thread package.

United States patent to Lubberhuizen, No. 2,011,153, discloses the most satisfactory method of drying packages of artificial silk known at present. This patent describes and claims broadly the idea of deforming wet packages of artificial silk into polygonal shapes and arranging the thus cerned. However, drying in package form has not formed packages within a drying container in such a manner that the majority of the peripheral surfaces are in contact and thereafter drying the packages from the inside to the outside.

This process has proved to be especially efiicient,

as the contact of the outer surfaces prevents the drying medium from contacting the same during the initial stages of the drying. The patentee is not concerned withany specific method fordeforming the packages and it is within the scope of his invention to effect this deformation either mechanically 'or manually.

This invention is concerned with a specific manner of deforming packages and a device for accomplishing the same. It is, in effect, an improvement over the foregoing patent.

Primarily, the invention relates to,the treatment of packages collected on bobbins or to packages spun into a centrifugal bucket. If bobbin spun silk is to be treated, it may be first washed, desulphurized and dried on the original bobbin and thereafter rewound and twisted onto a second holder, which holder may have a cotton sack thereon. The twisted package is rewetted and bleached either on the holder or after it has been removed therefrom with the cottonsack. The package is then in readiness for treatment according to the present invention. In the treatment of packages of centrifugally spun silk, the package is washed, desulphurized and bleached and is-in readiness for the novel treatment.

In both types of spinning the problem is analogous to the extent that the drying step is to be conducted in connection with packages of silk having no internal circular supports.

It is the object, therefore, of the present inven-v tion to provide a method and device for deforming packages of artificial silk prior to the drying operation whereby the deformed packages may thereafter be incorporated in a drying system in such a manner that the outer peripheries are in contact with each other to effect a complete inside outside drying operation.

It is further contemplated to utilize one of the normal and known treating operations to effect the foregoing, deforming step.

Other objects and advantages will become ap parent when considered in connection with the accompanying drawings wherein Figure l is a triangular form insert;

Figure 2 shows a number of packages of artificial silk packed in a hydro-extractor having the triangular insert incorporated in each of. the said packages;

Figure 3 exemplifies the condition of the pack ages after the hydro-extraction operation; and

Figure 4 shows the packages of silk in a drying frame with the forms removed in readiness for the drying operation.

The invention may be more readily understood by reference to the drawing wherein I indicates a suitable type hydro-extractor for extracting the excess moisture from packages of silk 2. These packages have inserts 3 contained therein, the purpose of which will hereinafter be more fully explained. The inserts are constructed of any suitable material such as wood, bakelite and the like and are preferably hollow to reduce the weight thereof. The size of these inserts is so chosen that they are slightly smaller than the space defined by the interior of the packages and they may be of any suitable length to support several packages thereon. Whereas it has been determined that excellent results are obtained by the use of an insert having the conformation of an equilateral triangle, it is within the scope of this invention to provide inserts of other shapes such as squares.

In operation the wet packages are placed in a normal type hydro-extractor and triangular inserts fitted within the interior of each of the packages. The packages are hydro-extracted for a sufficient time to eliminate the excess moisture and this may be determined by noting when the water has ceased to drip from the outlet of the extractor. The centrifugal force set up within the extractor causes the packages to shape themselves to the contour of the triangular inserts and an exceedingly uniform triangular package is produced.

Upon the completion of the hydro-extracting operation the packages are removed from the container and the inserts taken out of each package. The deformed packages are placed in a drying tray so that each side of the package is in contact with one side of an adjacent package. It is obvious that if other shapes are desired, the packages may still be placed in a drying tray in a geometrical pattern. It has been found that the deformed packages of silk are in such close relationship that substantially inside outside drying may be accomplished when the top and bottom of the tray contain galvanized wire covered with cotton cloth. The drying may also be carried out in a box-like container having holes in the top and bottom to correspond with the holes in the deformed packages.

It is to be understood that any suitable type hydro-extractor and any suitable type inserts may be employed without departing from the scope of the present invention, wherein the unobvious advantage has been obtained by automatic deformation of packages of artificial silk during normal treating operations.

What I claim is:

1. A process of treating unsupported packages of artificial silk which comprises positioning the same in a hydro-extractor, incorporating polygonal shaped inserts Within each package, hydroextracting the packages whereby the excess moisture is removed with the simultaneous deformation of the packages to a shape conforming with that of the said insert.

2. A process of deforming unsupported packages of artificial silk which comprises positioning the packages on polygonal inserts in a hydroextractor and subjecting the packages to centrifugal action to thereby cause the same to assume the shape of the inserts while eliminating excess moisture therefrom.

3. A process of automatically deforming packages of artificial silk which comprises disposing unsupported packages onto triangular supports, arranging the same within a hydro-extractor, hydro-extracting the packages and deforming the same simultaneously by centrifugal force.

4. A process according to claim 3 which further includes the removal of the triangular shaped packages and geometrically arranging the same in a drying container to permit inside outside drying thereof.

ALFRED ERNEST SUNDERLAND. 

